The electronic coffee maker has become a ubiquitous household item. There are many different commercial coffee makers. Some brew coffee from grinds. Other coffee makers grind the coffee beans and then brew the coffee. Some coffee makers allow the user to set the time when brewing is to begin. The coffee maker is set prior to going to sleep. This has the advantage of providing freshly brewed coffee when the user wakes in the morning. The user wakes to the scent of freshly brewed coffee and is able to enjoy a fresh cup without the usual morning fuss.
All of the aforementioned coffee makers suffer from one annoying deficiency: the coffee is kept warm indefinitely after the brewing has terminated. After several hours, the coffee develops a "cooked" smell and taste, and the operator usually discards any coffee that has not been used. Not only is this wasteful, but the smell of the cooked coffee creates a negative impression upon the taste buds and olfactory senses of the coffee aficionado.
The present invention provides a coffee maker, the circuitry and control unit of which allow for selective brewing and warming of the coffee. Coffee is prepared and kept warm for a selected time, so that the coffee never becomes overly cooked or overly strong. In addition, the warming cycle has three different power levels, so that the coffee loses water by heated evaporation at three different selective rates. In this regard, the "cooking effect" can be substantially diminished or eliminated.